Shank piece for shoes



Aug. 19, 1930. I w, AK 1,773,365-

SHANK FIEcE FOR SHOES Filed April 1d, 1929 hum me I W. LAKE ATI'a/EWEY Patented Aug. 19, 1930 ;mn v'w. LAKE, or st. Louis, MIssoimI, Assieivon 'ro BOYD-WELSH SHOE company,

' oF'sT LOUIS, MISSOURI, A conronar ononmissoonr s ANK PIECE ron sno'ts Application filed April 10,

yieldable supports for the heel and the metatarsal arch of the foot of the wearer of a shoe equipped with the improved shank piece, thepredominant object of the invention being to provide a shank piece which will serve to render a shoe equipped therewith tends substantially the entire width: of the more comfortable to the wearer than were shoes provided with shank pieces of the type formerly employed.

Fig. l is a fragmentary section of a shoe provided with one of my improved shank pieces. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved shank piece.

in the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates a shoe. The shoe A is a ladys shoe of the high or French heel type, and comprises an outsole B, an insole C, and a heel D. The thickness of material E represents the lasting allowance of the upper, said lasting allowance being interposed between the outsole B and the insole G in the usual manner.

1' designates my improved shank p1ece,1

which is interposed between the outsole B and the insole C. As shown in Fig. 2, the shank piece is shaped to correspond to the horizontal shape of the shoe at the outsole and insole the outsole B. Theshank piece is formed of' leather or any other suitable material, and at the heel portion thereof said shank piece is gouged out to provide'a recess 2 which exshank piece and forwardlyfrom-the rear edge of said shank piece toa pointa slight distance forward of the front portion of the heel D. Also, at the forward portion of the disposed at the approximate transverse cen- 1929. Serial No. 353,975.

ter of said shank piece at the extreme forward endthereofg I Disposed within the recess 2 at the heel portion of theshankpiece isa filler or pad 4; ofv v suitable yieldable material, suchas sponge rubber, cork, felt, etc.', said filler 4 being coextensive with the recess and being of a thickness approximately equal to the depth of said recess. Also,I employ a similarfiller or pad 5 which is located withinthe recess 3 at the forward portionjof the shank piece, said filler 5 being co-extensivewith the recess 3. Unlikeithe filler 4, the filler 5 bulges upwardly at its center, as shown inFig. 1, so thatat said centerof said filler same is ofslightly greater thickness than the depth of the recess 3; In other-words, atthe approximate centerfof thefiller 5 the top face thereofiisextended upwardly beyond the ,top surface of.

the shankpiece. Becauseofthe cross-sectional shape of the filler 5, the insolefC is gougedjout slightly to provide a recess 6 into which-the upwardly bulged top surfaceof the filler Sextends, as shown in Fig. 1. The fill-i erslt and 5 are secured in placewithin the recesses 2 and ,3 in any suitable manner. i i I Inconstructing a shoe equipped with one of my improved shank pieces, the outsole, insole, and lasting allowance are secured together; in the manner commonto shoes of the, type illustrated. 1 Also, the heel D is secured to the shoe proper by means of the usual fastening elements '7,'which are, usually in the form of nails, and these fastening elements 7 are' extended through the'shank piece 1, as shown inFig; l. a

In theuse ofvshoes having my improved shank pieces as parts thereof, the filler 'at the heelportion of each'of the shank pieces serves as a yieldable' support for'the heelfof the wearer of the shoe, and because ofits presence makes the shoe far more comfortable to wear than the shoes constructedas hereto for e. :Also, the filler 5 at the forepartof the 95 shank piece acts as a yieldable support for the metatarsal arch of .thewearers foot, and thus makes the shoe more comfortable towearand eliminates trouble resulting from bunions and similar-sources of footdisc'oinfort, I

being'of a thickness substantially the same as" 2V I I 1,773,365

I claim:

1. A shank piece comprising an element shaped so as to be capable of being interposed between the outsole and insole of a shoe, said element being provided with a recess at the heel portion thereof, said recess being ex tended substantially the entire width of the shank piece and forwardly from the rear edge thereof, and a yieldable pad disposed within said recess.

2. A shank piece comprising an element shaped so as to be capable of being interposed between the outsole and insole of a shoe, said element being provided with Ja'recess at thev heel portion thereof, said recess being extended substantially the entire width of the shank piece and forwardly from the rear edge thereof, and a yieldable pad disposed within said recess, the thickness of said pad being approximately the same as the depth of said beyond the surface of said shank piece, and said insole being provided with a recess which receives said extended portion of said pad, said shank piece being provided'with a second recess at the heel portion thereof, and a yieldable pad disposed within the second mentioned-recess.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto aflix my signature.

' JOHN" w; LAKE;

8. A shank piece comprising an element" at. the forward portion of said element, and

yieldable pads disposed within the respective recesses, thepad in the first'mentioned recess the depth ofthe recess and the pad in the second mentioned recess being of a thickness slightly greater than the depth of the recess so that a portion thereof projects beyond the surface of the shank piece.

5. A shoe including an outsole, an insole, and a shankpiece interposed between said outsole and said insole, said shank piece comprising an element-provided witha recess formed therein at the forward portion thereof, and a yieldablepad disposed within said recess, a portion of said pad being of a thickness slightly greater than the depth of the recess so that said portion of said pad extends beyond the surface of said shank piece, and said insole being provided with a recess which receives said extended portion of said pad.

6. A shoe including an outsole, an insole,

and a shank piece interposed between said outsole and said insole, said shank piece comprising an element provided with a recess formed therein at the forward portion thereof, a yieldable pad disposed within said recess, a portion of said'pad being of a thickness slightly greater than the depth of the recess so that said portionof said pad extends 

